Forget Me Never
by MissMy80sShows
Summary: Lee gets hurt just days before Christmas. Co-Written with Karen LaManna. COMPLETE 12/23/18
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Lee wrapped his hands around his wife's rounded belly as she was washing the dinner dishes. "Amanda, dinner was delicious," he whispered against the back of her neck, his lips tickling her skin.

"I'm glad you liked it. It was a new recipe Mother found in a magazine. You checked with Billy and you're not on the Duty Roster for Christmas, right?" Amanda asked.

Lee rubbed her belly again and nuzzled her neck once more as he whispered, "I'm not on the Duty Roster, don't worry. I know how important Christmas is to you and the boys. But I've got other plans in mind for tonight."

"I'm sure you do," Amanda replied as she tried to wiggle away from his embrace. "Hey, if you keep that up, I'm going to end up all wet."

Lee chuckled in her ear, waggled his eyebrows as he whispered, "Isn't that the point?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it was that kind of teasing that resulted in the condition Amanda is in right now," Dotty called from the kitchen doorway. She was holding a few dishes in her hands, smiling at her pregnant daughter and son-in-law snuggling at the sink. "I don't mean to interrupt, but I found Philip's stash of snack dishes in his room. I never would have ventured in there, but I've been looking for my bowling bag since we've moved and I can't seem to find it anywhere." She crossed the room as Lee stepped back from Amanda, his hands lingering just a few extra seconds on her belly.

"Soon enough, Lee, that baby will be rolling around and you'll be able to feel it," Dotty stated as she placed the dishes in the soapy water. "I remember when Amanda was pregnant with Philip. It seemed like it took forever for him to move enough to feel it. But that day! OH, I remember it like it was yesterday. It's the oddest, most incredible feeling!" Dotty punctuated her words with a clap.

Lee bobbed his head. "I know, I know. You've both been through this before, I'm just… anxious, I guess. And not knowing what we're having is killing me. I don't understand why you don't want to know," he groaned. He stepped back, folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the counter.

"There aren't too many surprises in life, so I want to wait until our baby is born," Amanda replied as she turned and wiped her hands on a towel. "The dishes from Philip's room need to soak, I'm sure. Mother, I think I saw your bowling bag on the top shelf in the closet in the hall. Sweetheart, do you think you could help her reach it?"

"Of course, lead the way," Lee said, waving his hand toward the doorway.

"I'm going to go down and check the laundry then," Amanda declared, tossing the towel onto the counter. She kissed Lee's cheek as she walked past him before heading down into the basement.

"I don't know who would have put my bag in the closet in the hall," Dotty rambled as they crossed to the other side of the house. She opened the door and stood on her tip toes, trying to get a glimpse of the missing bowling ball bag. "I think that's it, way in the back," she pointed before planting her hands on her hips. "Why on Earth would anyone push it way back there is beyond me!"

Lee reached his hand onto the shelf and even he could barely reach the back. With a "Hmph," he stood and reached further back into the deep closet. "How did…" he mumbled before catching the strap of the bag with his fingertips. He gently tugged on the bag but it was lodged tight and barely budged.

"Let me get the step stool from the kitchen," Dotty exclaimed, watching Lee struggle to get a grip on the bag.

"I don't need the stool," Lee insisted as he tugged again, feeling the bag move a bit.

Dotty shook her head, "No, no, I'll get it! No need to get hurt trying to pull that old thing out of there! I'd love to know who put it there and what they were thinking!" She turned and headed back into the kitchen as Lee gave the bag a solid yank. He felt the bag jerk loose, heard an odd thump, and almost immediately felt a shooting pain in his head before everything went black.

Dotty heard a loud crash behind her followed by a quiet thump. Confused, she turned around to find Lee, unconscious, lying on the floor, the bowling ball silently rolling away on the carpet. "Amanda!" she yelled as she ran back to kneel beside Lee. "Amanda!"

"Mother?" Amanda called back from the steps as she carefully carried the laundry basket on her hip.

"Amanda! Lee's hurt! I think you need to call 9-1-1!" Dotty yelled again, panic rising in her voice.

Amanda dropped the basket and ran toward her mother's voice. She gasped when she saw Lee in a crumpled puddle on the floor. "What happened?" she asked.

"The phone! Get the phone!" Dotty commanded.

Amanda found her senses and quickly dialed the emergency number. "My husband is unconscious on the floor," she explained to the operator. "Do you know what happened?" Amanda asked. When Dotty didn't answer right away, Amanda demanded, "Mother! What happened?"

Dotty was looking at Lee's head, gently feeling the lump that was rapidly forming on his head. "I think… I think the bowling ball hit him," she gasped. Her eyes were large as she looked up at Amanda, still holding the phone.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mrs. Stetson, your husband is awake now. His x-rays have come back and he does have a slight hairline fracture on his frontal bone, extending to his parietal bone on the left side of his head. He seems to be doing fine otherwise," the emergency room doctor explained. Dotty and Amanda were sitting in the small room, awaiting information when the doctor appeared in the doorway.

Amanda stood quickly, Dotty beside her, ready to follow the doctor immediately. They were surprised when he raised his hands and gestured for them to sit back down.

"Now, his vital stats are all fine, his blood pressure is good, but I have some concerns about his recollection of the incident," the doctor explained. He sat on the edge of one of the hard-plastic chairs; whereas Amanda and Dotty eased back into the soft cushioned ones.

"What do you mean, his recollection?" Dotty asked. She reached over and patted Amanda on the knee as they waited for his answer.

"Well, Mr. Stetson doesn't remember anything of the incident itself or much of anything from earlier today for that matter. We are concerned he may have a slight case of amnesia," the doctor nodded as he spoke.

Amanda looked at the doctor, her eyes wide as she asked, "When you say amnesia, you mean he doesn't know who he is or he just doesn't remember today?" She flashed back to the time she had been in the car accident and she herself had amnesia, not long after they had first met. She remembered the panicked feeling of not understanding who everyone was or what was going on around her, even for that short time.

The doctor raised his hand to silence her as he stated, "From what we can determine right now, it's complicated. He knows his name, even told me where he works but he is confused about you, unfortunately. I asked him if he could tell me his wife's name and he stated he wasn't married, never planned on it. I asked him if he knew his address and it's not the address listed on his admission records."

Dotty covered her mouth before exclaiming, "What do you mean he doesn't remember Amanda? They've been married for over a year, they've worked together for four, almost five years. She's pregnant with his child! How can he possibly NOT remember that?" Her voice rose in pitch the more questions she asked.

"Mother, please," Amanda tried to quiet her, patting her arm. "Let the doctor speak." She turned back to the doctor and asked, "Can we see him? Maybe if he sees us, it will help jog his memory."

Dotty nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Doctor, can we see him? Amanda's right, maybe if he sees us, it will help trigger…something."

The doctor nodded sympathetically, "I'll take you down. Just understand, this is a post-traumatic type of amnesia. If it's also retrograde amnesia, it's going to take a while for the memories to return, so just be patient. Now, if you'd like to follow me…" The doctor's voice trailed off as he stood.

Amanda and Dotty followed the doctor to another small room where Lee lay on a gurney, a bandage wrapped around his head, complaining, "Can I get my clothes and some aspirin? I'll deal with this when I get back to my apartment."

"Mr. Stetson, I explained as soon as the rest of your test results come back, you can go home," the doctor tried to calm the agitated Lee.

"And I told you, I hate doctors. Now, where are my clothes?" Lee replied sarcastically.

"Sweetheart," Amanda whispered as she stepped closer to the bed, "Why don't you just lay back and calm down."

"I'm sorry, Miss..." Lee studied her face for a moment before he corrected himself, "no, sorry, Mrs. King, isn't it?" He scanned her from top to bottom and added, "I see congratulations are in order. Your ex-husbands?"

Amanda bit her lip, trying to tamp down the tears that threatened to fall as she muttered back, "No, my new husband's. He's very excited about our baby." Lee's demeanor had reverted back to how he was when she first met him - slightly arrogant and demanding. And to add insult to injury, he didn't remember their relationship at all.

"Oh, anyone I know?" Lee tossed back with a laugh. He crossed his arms and shrugged his shoulders.

Dotty watched the exchanged and immediately got angry. She stepped deeper into the room and stated firmly, "As a matter of fact, yes, you do know him. You know him very well."

Lee pushed himself higher on the gurney with a groan as he replied, "Oh yeah?"

Dotty took one more step to stand at the end of the bed and stated, "Yeah and you better apologize to your wife right now, mister. She's been worried sick about you all afternoon!"

Lee's mouth dropped open in shock before he stuttered out the words, "My wife?" Amanda was still fighting the tears that threatened to fall and only nodded in reply. He looked at her, then down at his left hand then back up at Dotty. "So, if she's my wife, then that's my -" Lee stopped when reality struck, slumping back against the pillows behind him.

"Our baby, yes," Amanda replied softly, a solitary tear snaking down her cheek.


	3. Chapter 3

Lee sat on the couch in their family room, confused. His head hurt, not just from the injury, but also from the overwhelming amount of information he was flooded with as soon as they walked in the door. He was surrounded by photos he didn't remember, the artifacts from his apartment on the same shelves as knick-knacks and poorly painted school clay projects and a family he didn't know he had. In the corner, stood a large Christmas tree, the lights twinkling off the large bulb ornaments. He couldn't help notice the small round ornament with a picture of he and Amanda, titled, "Our First Christmas".

Amanda had cried silently most of the ride home as Dotty chattered loudly. When they got in the house, the boys, Jamie and Philip, immediately began asking questions about what happened and how it was going to affect their skiing plans for the upcoming weekend. Christmas was only a few days away and the boys were excited for their holiday break from school.

He dropped his aching head into his hands, unsure what to do. He wanted to be back in his own apartment, alone. He had no idea how to interact with the family watching him from down the hall.

"Amanda, what are you going to do?" Dotty asked over the rim of her tea cup. She was sitting on one of the kitchen stools where she could watch Lee from her vantage point.

Amanda sighed softly then said, "I called Mr. Melrose. He's on his way over." She was keeping herself busy, mixing the ingredients for a poppy seed cake, Lee's favorite. "I also called Joe and asked him to pick up the boys. He'll be here any minute."

Dotty looked at Lee once more then said, "Well, very clearly he knows who you are but doesn't remember all of this. So, I'll ask again…what are you going to do?" She blinked as she sipped her tea, her eyes focused on Amanda.

Amanda finished scraping the batter into a greased bundt pan, placed the pan in the oven and turned back to Dotty. "I'm going to give him space. He can sleep in the guest room tonight and tomorrow we will take it slow. I'm not going to bombard him with questions," she stated, her eyebrows arched.

Dotty threw her hands up, slid off the stool and stated, "I can take a hint. I'll give you both space tonight but Christmas is in just a few days. I called Kurt when we got back and he'll be here in a few minutes as well." She placed her tea mug in the sink, walked to the stairs and said, "I'll be in my room putting my things together for the evening if Kurt arrives."

Amanda closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She rubbed her belly protectively and whispered, "Don't worry, little one, your daddy will remember soon enough." Her thoughts were interrupted by the door bell chimes. She glanced at the clock, mentally calculating the time for the cake and headed to the front door, calling out, "I'll get it."

Billy stood at the door, his face tight, "I got here as soon as I could. I'm so sorry, Amanda. Where is he?"

"Thank you, sir. He's in the family room, confused. Like I said on the phone, he remembers you, the agency, his old apartment. He only remembers me a little," Amanda explained as she closed the door. "The boys are confused, Mother's confused and to be honest, I'm not sure what to do."

Billy rubbed her arm sympathetically and said, "I'm not sure what I can do, but I'll try." He followed Amanda to the room Lee sat, now staring at the tree.

"I'll be in the kitchen," Amanda said before turning away and walking down the hall.

"Scarecrow, I came as soon as Amanda called," Billy said quietly.

Lee's head snapped around, his eyes immediately narrowing before recognition set in. "Billy, I'm…I don't…" Lee stuttered, unsure what to say.

"It's okay, we'll get through this. The important thing to remember is this is only temporary," Billy assured him.

Lee touched his head with a grimace and said softly, "What if it's not. What if I don't ever remember?"

Billy sat on the chair beside the couch and said, "You can't think like that, man. As partners, you and Amanda have been through some pretty tough times and always make it through. You'll get through this, together."

Lee shook his head slowly, the pain begining to take its toll, "Amanda and I? Partners? I don't remember. I mean I sort of remember her, but not really. Does that make any sense?"

Billy chuckled, "Perfect sense. Sometimes I still wonder how you two did it, but you did. She saved your butt on a number of occasions so be nice to her. And don't forget, that's your baby she's carrying. I remember the look on your face when you came in to tell me. I wasn't sure if you were going to pass out or throw up, you were so nervous."

Lee looked down the hall and caught a fleeting glimpse of Amanda as she moved around the room. "We're happy then? I mean, the baby wasn't an accident, was it?"

Billy covered his mouth and chuckled louder, "I don't think so. Not the way you two were behaving. After all, you just celebrated your first anniversary, bought this house. I'm pretty sure you knew what you were doing."

Lee looked at the Christmas tree, then back at Billy and said, "I think I owe her an apology."


	4. Chapter 4

Billy stayed and talked with Lee as Joe picked up the boys and Dotty left with Kurt. He said goodbye to Amanda as she finished covering the poppyseed cake and let himself out. Lee emerged from the family room and slowly made his way into the unfamiliar kitchen. "Smells good," he said quietly.

Amanda smiled at him, weakly, "Would you like a piece? It's still warm."

"I'd like that," Lee replied. He watched as Amanda cut a slice for him, placed it on a plate and handed it to him with a fork. She opened her mouth to say something just as he asked, "Milk?"

Amanda giggled and poured him a glass. "I was going to say the same thing," she explained. "You can never eat my poppyseed cake without it." She looked at his face and added, "Do you want one of those pain pills the hospital sent home? I know you don't really like taking pills but it will help with the pain."

"How can you tell I'm in pain?" Lee asked then shook his head slightly and said, "You're my wife, you would know. Listen, Amanda, I... um, well...I ah, I think I owe you an apology. For my reaction at the hospital."

Amanda rubbed her belly and replied, "Lee, sweetheart, you don't need to apologize. I understand. You don't remember everything that's happened the last few years and I understand that."

Lee looked at Amanda, her cheeks pink, rubbing her rounded belly and joked, "Looks like I forgot some pretty good stuff. I mean, you are…well…um…we must have…you did get… yeah..." Lee struggled to swallow around the word, "pregnant."

Amanda reached out to touch the gauze bandage on his head and said, "It's ok. You'll remember. I remembered when I lost my memory and blocked everything about you out. It came in bits and pieces so I know yours will come back too." She yawned, quickly covering her mouth and said, "It's getting late. You can sleep in the guest room tonight, if that makes you more comfortable."

Lee finished up his poppyseed cake and replied, "Thank you, that was delicious. And the guest room will be fine, if you're okay with that. I don't want to put any extra stress on you and the..."

"The baby? I understand," Amanda completed his sentence. "We'll get through this."

Lee followed Amanda to the second floor where she handed him a pair of pajamas he didn't recognize but assumed must be his own and showed him where the guest room was, down the hall from their master bedroom. He watched her close the door, shutting him out for the night. He sensed her hesitation when she left the room, torn between wanting to throw her arms around him or walk away. Lee changed his clothes and climbed into bed, hoping the morning will bring a change to his memory.

Sleep came in fits and starts for both Lee and Amanda. Each time Lee closed his eyes, memories collided and flashed in his mind, confusing him more when he woke. Down the hall, Amanda shifted from one side to the other, uncomfortable, longing for her husband's warm body to be curled up beside hers. She awoke early and silently slipped down to the kitchen where she was surprised to find Lee already there, making coffee. "I see you found everything," she said cheerfully.

"I don't know how, but I knew where it was. I mean, if you asked me where it was I couldn't tell you, but when I couldn't sleep I figured I'd just make coffee and I just KNEW where to find it," Lee tried to explain. Amanda was grinning at him, her eyes brighter than they were the night before, despite her restless sleep. "What?" Lee questioned.

"You rambled. I'm usually the one who rambles but you just did it," Amanda stated as she pulled a glass out of the cabinet. "Your baby wants juice," she said and opened the fridge. She pulled out a bottle of cranberry juice and before she could get it, Lee pulled out the bottle of orange juice and handed it to her. Amanda raised an eyebrow but it was Lee who said, "I just knew." She accepted the juice with a smile and a silent prayer his memory was returning.

"I thought maybe today we could talk. You could tell me about some of the cases we've worked on, the boys, your mother," Lee suggested. He kept thinking about the pictures in the family room and the ornament on the tree.

Amanda finished her juice, placed the glass in the sink and said, "Lee, I don't want to push you too hard to remember. We can take it slow."

Lee reached out and touched her shoulder before gently and slowly pulling her into his arms. He closed his eyes and inhaled, her unique smell filling his senses. A memory flashed through his mind rapidly, Amanda in his arms during their first dance of their wedding, friends and family surrounding them. He opened his eyes and said, "Tell me about our wedding."

The rest of the day was spent in a similar fashion, Lee asking about a memory that flashed through his mind, about work, the family. Early in the afternoon, he was exhausted, as was Amanda. She suggested he lay down and take a nap and was very surprised when he suggested she join him. It was awkward at first, Lee unsure which side of the bed was his but as soon as his head hit the pillow it just felt right and he fell into a sound sleep, Amanda curled up beside him. They woke as the sun dipped low in the sky.

"How does dinner sound?" Amanda asked.

"Are you cooking?" Lee asked, his stomach rumbling noisily.

Amanda laughed and replied, "No, you are. It's your night to cook."

Lee nodded and asked, "Well, what would I be making for dinner tonight?"

"Well, you took out steaks yesterday before…well, before the incident happened," Amanda explained.

"So how does steaks and baked potatoes sound?" Lee asked then added, "Like a couple of normal people right?"

Amanda laughed and added, "We are a couple of normal people."


	5. Chapter 5

"Thanks, Joe. Yes, I know tomorrow is Christmas Eve but if you could just keep the boys one more day. Lee's feeling a little better but he's still confused. Okay, tell the boys we love them," Amanda said into the phone receiver before hanging up. She didn't hear Lee enter the room behind her.

"Joe? That's your…ex-husband, isn't it?" Lee asked hesitantly. He had just taken a shower, changed into a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and his hair was still damp, hanging in loose strands on his forehead.

Amanda turned, startled, her hand on her chest. She inhaled sharply before she exhaled and said, "Lee, you scared me."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to," Lee replied sheepishly. He looked at her and asked again, "Was that your ex-husband?"

Amanda nodded and replied sadly, "The boys are worried about you."

"Philip and Jamie? Worried about me?" Lee asked, surprised. "Why?"

Amanda sat down on the couch and rubbed her belly protectively. "They've never seen you hurt like this before. I mean, they were here when you got hurt in the Kuzman case but they didn't know what really happened. And when I was hurt in California, they didn't know about -" Amanda started to explain.

"Wait, what do you mean, you were hurt in California?" Lee interrupted her. Amanda sighed, moved the collar on her shirt over enough for Lee to see the angry, puckered scar on her chest. Lee inhaled sharply, cursed and reached out to touch it. "Did I…was that because of our job?"

Amanda covered herself up and shook her head, pressing her lips tightly together. "No, we got caught in crossfire when we went to visit Barney and Gus. We were there… on vacation," she explained hesitantly. She didn't want to explain their first, secret wedding.

Lee closed his eyes as a memory ricochet through his mind. He could see Amanda sitting in a car, wearing a white sweater, a red stain slowly spreading across her chest. "I remember…sort of. We were near a dock, you had on a white sweater," he said slowly.

"That's good, sweetheart. Yes, we were meeting Barney at the dock. He was so excited to show us something," Amanda replied.

Lee closed his eyes again, his head jerked to the side as another memory flashed through his mind. Amanda was laying in the hospital bed, doctors and nurses running around them. He remembered Dotty beside him and a doctor telling them to stay out of the way. "You almost died," he whispered huskily. Amanda didn't reply, she simply covered his hand with hers. Lee looked up at her, his hazel eyes dark. "Your mother kept telling me you were a fighter. I guess she's right." Amanda's bottom lip quivered slightly at the memory but she still didn't say a word. Lee put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. He pressed his lips to her temple as another memory flashed through his mind. This time Amanda was dressed in a pink sweatshirt, a red bandana tied around her head. She was bound with ropes, shaking in his arms as he comforted her.

Just as Lee was about to comment, Amanda cleared her throat, leaned back and said, "Tomorrow is Christmas Eve. Aunt Lillian isn't able to come this year because of her hip replacement, but Mother still wants to cook if you're up to it."

Lee narrowed his eyes, trying to search his memory for other Christmas traditions he could remember. "I don't have to work?" he asked teasingly.

"No," Amanda smiled and shook her head, "You don't have to work. You made sure Billy took you off the Duty Roster this year. We promised the boys we would take them up to Pinetop the day after Christmas."

Lee tilted his head, "Pinetop? You and I went to Pinetop, didn't we? The skiing was lousy but I remember we found a way to entertain ourselves."

Amanda blushed at his recollection. "Yes. It was the first actual vacation we went on together."

Laughing, Lee said, "Well, then I guess we shouldn't disappoint the boys then, right. But I don't know how much skiing I'll be able to do and I assume you shouldn't be doing any...in your current condition."

"No, I think you're right. But the boys can hold their own. At our last appointment, the doctor said the baby was fine, the heartbeat was strong and if I wanted to stick to the bunny slopes I could still go," Amanda explained, sadly. Lee had been sitting beside her as the doctor explained everything. She could still picture his face, hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time.

Lee touched her face gently as he said, "Amanda, I'm sorry. I'm trying to remember everything I really am. It's coming in bits and pieces and a few times it's been a feeling more than an image. Like yesterday, when I asked you to take a nap with me."

Amanda leaned close to him and brushed her lips across his cheek, "I know, sweetheart." She stood slowly and said, "I'm going to change then call Mother and tell her dinner is still on." She left the room, leaving Lee sitting on the couch, staring at the Christmas tree again.


	6. Chapter 6

Dotty was bustling around the kitchen, preparing their Christmas Eve dinner as Philip and Jamie tried to determine what could possibly be in each wrapped box under the Christmas tree. Joe had dropped them off earlier in the afternoon, promising he would be back for dinner with his wife, Carrie. Billy had called to check on Lee and both Amanda and Lee assured him his memory was slowly coming back. Amanda was setting the table in the dining room, putting the last-minute touches on the decorations and Lee wandered from one room to the next, trying to remember everything he could.

Francine stopped by to drop off gifts for each of them before leaving to fly home to be with her family. Lee remembered almost everything about their relationship, including a case they worked on involving her ex-fiance, Jonathan. He was surprised to see how comfortable Amanda and Francine were together and couldn't hide his reaction when Francine rubbed Amanda's belly before she left.

"Lee? Can you help Mother put the goose in the oven?" Amanda called out. She was in a good mood, happily arranging dishes and centerpieces on the dining room table.

Lee strolled into the kitchen, his hands in his pockets as he replied, "What can I do to help?"

Dotty stood at the counter, her hands covered in stuffing, asked "Can you just put the goose in the oven? I should have done that first but I lost track of time…sorry…bad choice of words."

Lee chuckled, "It's ok, Dotty, I'm getting used to it. Something smells good though." He opened the oven door to find several pies, their crust golden brown. "Should I take these out first?"

Dotty nodded and pointed to the cooling racks on the counter and exclaimed, "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've lost my mind or something!"

"Grandma! You shouldn't say things like that!" Philip groaned as he entered the kitchen. "Here, I'll take out the pies, Lee, if you can lift that goose. I swear Grandma got the biggest one she could find this year." Philip slipped on a couple of oven mitts and carefully removed the pies, one by one. "Hmmm, Mom, can I have a piece of apple pie?" he called to Amanda.

"When it cools," she replied, entering the bustling room. "Lee, you might have to move that rack first."

Lee removed the extra shelf rack, slid the goose into the oven and closed the door. He looked around, unsure what to do next. Amanda, sensing his discomfort, said, "I could use some help in the other room hanging more garland on the mantle."

Lee nodded and followed Amanda into the family room once more. He was standing in the doorway when he heard Jamie giggling. "What?" he asked, confused.

Jamie pointed above Lee's head and said, "Hey, Mom, Lee's standing under the mistletoe. You know what that means."

Amanda glanced above Lee's head to find the small sprig of mistletoe clearly hanging. She rolled her eyes at Jamie and reprimanded him "Is that your idea of a joke, mister because I don't think any of us find it very funny right now?"

Jamie stood up, holding his hands up as he backed out of the room. "Hey, I just did what you asked me to do, hang decorations. I didn't know Lee was going to stop there!"

Amanda took a step closer to Lee and tried to apologize, "Lee, I'm sorry. We don't have to…"

Lee laughed and held out his hand as he said, "It's ok. We can't break traditions though, right? I think I've been learning that the last few days."

Amanda took his hand and stepped closer to him. She raised up on her toes to brush her lips across his but lost her balance. Her hands ended up on his shoulders and instinctively he caught her, one hand on her belly, the other around her waist. He looked into her deep brown eyes and slowly his lips descended on her.

As their lips touched, he felt a strange movement under his hand and a flash through his head. He stepped back, his chest heaving and eyes wide. "Amanda! Was that?" he gasped.

"The baby? Yes, you felt that?" she asked, her eyes immediately filling with tears.

"I remember! The other day! I remember!" Lee exclaimed loudly. He reached out to touch her belly once more. "Oh, baby! I remember!" He dropped to his knees and kissed her belly, much to Amanda's surprise.

"Sweetheart? What…what do you remember?" she asked confused.

Lee stood slowly, touched his head with one hand. "Everything. You washing dishes, your mother…the bowling ball…I remember everything!" He swept her into his arms, spinning her around before planting her feet back on the floor.

"But how?" Amanda whispered, tears silently sliding down her face.

Lee stopped, held her face in his hands and wiped her tears away with his thumbs as he said, "I don't know. I guess the baby wanted to make sure Christmas wasn't ruined after all."

Dotty and the boys watched from the doorway across the room, tears in her eyes as well. She put her arms around the boys and said quietly, "I guess we have our own little Christmas miracle then, don't we."


	7. Chapter 7

**Epilogue**

Several months later, Lee was looking down, wide-eyed, at the small, squirming bundle in his arms. Amanda was exhausted, but happily watching Lee and their newborn baby bond. Lee carried the baby across the delivery room to place their child into Amanda's awaiting arms. He sat on the edge of the bed, leaned forward and kissed her sweat-dampened forehead. "She looks just like you," he whispered and added, "Absolutely beautiful."

Amanda leaned her head back to kiss him, the baby snuggled against her shoulder. "Sweetheart, are you sure about her name? I mean, what about your mother? Don't you want to honor her?"

Lee looked down at Amanda and their newborn daughter and said, "Amanda, when I had amnesia, there was one thing that kept me believing I was going to remember everything and it wasn't my mother's memory."

Amanda reached up and touched his face lovingly. "We knew it would come back. The doctor explained it would just take time," she reminded him.

"I know what he said but that wasn't good enough for me, for us. You know as well as I, time is precious and losing those memories, even for a short time…" Lee's voice trailed off sadly. He looked down at the baby once more and added, "When I felt her move for the first time under that mistletoe, and everything came rushing back…I knew this was the perfect name for her."

"Well, then, Daddy, are you ready for life with this little one?" Amanda smiled once more as she lifted the baby back into Lee's awaiting arms.

Lee looked down at the tiny infant in his arms. He shifted her slightly then leaned down.

"Happy Birthday, Hope Dorothea Stetson," Lee whispered against his daughter's cheek as he kissed her for the first time.


End file.
